Disney+ passes 50m subscribers worldwide
The streaming service has almost doubled its userbase in two months
Disney has announced that over 50 million people worldwide have subscribed to streaming service Disney+ in the first five months after its US launch.
This means the platform, which rivals Netflix and Amazon Prime, has almost doubled its users since February when the company announced 26.5 million subscribers.
The growth would have been helped by the launch of the service across India and Europe (including the UK) in late March. It's also likely the current lockdown in many countries has seen people turning to Disney+ and its many titles on offer, including hit live-action series The Mandalorian.
“Great storytelling inspires and uplifts, and we are in the fortunate position of being able to deliver a vast array of great entertainment rooted in joy and optimism on Disney+,” said Kevin Mayer, Chairman of Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International.
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“We’re truly humbled that Disney+ is resonating with millions around the globe, and believe this bodes well for our continued expansion throughout Western Europe and into Japan and all of Latin America later this year.”
Despite the huge uplift, Disney is still behind market leader Netflix, which boasts 167.1 million users worldwide (as of January 2020).
However, Disney+ figures are expected to grow further with the arrival of new blockbuster titles, including Marvel TV series such as WandaVision and Hawkeye, alongside a Star Wars Rogue One prequel.
Although many of these scheduled shows have been delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak, Disney's Executive Chairman Bob Iger announced earlier this week that some of the studio’s films such as Artemis Fowl could skip the cinema completely and head straight to Disney+.
In other words, expect those Disney+ subscriber numbers to increase in the coming months – and sharply.
Wondering what’s good to watch on it? Check out our round-up of the best Disney+ movies. Disney Plus costs £5.99/month or £59.99 for a full year subscription, get your 7-day free trial here
